The Reason
by hiddenmoonlyt
Summary: Sometimes you need to let someone explain, or else everything you've worked for will go down the drain. lol, I rhymed I promise the story is a LOT better than the summary. ShikaTema


_**A/n: **_'Ello Anime world! I've been writing Glee related fanfics for a while, and I thought that I could take a break to write this one-shot down while I still had it in my brain. :) So, I hope you enjoy it~ and if you love Glee [Puckleberry] check out my fanfics on my profile. Enjoy the story, yo!

_**Disclaimer: **_I owned Naruto/Shippuuden Shikamaru and Temari would be together by now along with NejiTen; GaaSaku; NaruHina; & maybe even show hints of KakaSaku. Lawl. I'm a perv, I know. [I don't own this anime. ;)]

**~*~ ~*~ ~*~**

_**The Reason**_

…_And the reason is you._

The brisk, night breeze brushed against her face as she walked down the paved path, hand-in-hand with the troubled brunette beside her. Emerald peeked behind the corners of her eyes, searching for any amusement in the chocolate eyes beside her. Finding nothing, her gaze returned to the path in front of her. _Nothing new… dates are only troubling to him… _

The boy next to her senses a slight halt in her step before slowly returning to a walk. He turned his watch to the form besides him, gently stopping in his stroll besides her finding hints of sadness in her eyes; the force of his arm connected to hers stopping her in her step as well. She turns to him confused, only to see him staring at her in confusion as well, "What's wrong, Temari?"

Emerald met chocolate in equal confusion. Temari looked into his eyes telling him she truly didn't know what he meant, but he knew full well, "Come on, Temari." He said feeling insulted by her attempt of tricking him, "Not only have I known you before elementary school, but I'm your boyfriend," he explained matter-of-factly, "Don't you think I'd know if you're _lying_ to me or not?"

Temari's eyes grew slightly wide, loosing the focus on masking her lie in front of him. Trying to lead on with the confusion act she tried to re-fuel it, "What do you mean Shikamaru?" she asked trying to not sound so obvious to her act; he was good, but sometimes she could slip it past him, "I'm fine, just thinking." She smiled before releasing her hand from his and wrapping it with her other behind her back before continuing to walk down the path- only to turn her head smirking her signature 'victory' smirk towards him before turning her glance back down the path as she continued her stroll, a frown materializing on her face soon after.

Shikamaru stood there in his place on the path, placing his hands into his pockets before following her down the path. _She is such a bad liar. _

**~*~**

The two of them continued down the path, Temari still leading them, the moonlight being the only light. Shikamaru didn't know what to do, he knew something was up, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. _This is so troublesome… troublesome woman… _he thought to himself. Letting the feeling on the path beneath his sandals lead him down the path, he gazed up to the moon hoping it would give him some sort of answer. The only reason he was out here was because of Temari. He knew how much she loved a late night walk in the park, and God knows he would do anything for her. Heck, everyone knows that. So what? What is wrong with her? Wasn't she having fun? Doesn't she like this walk they are having… or well…had?

He switched his glance back to the walking girl in front of him. She still had her hands laced behind her back, her glance still looking towards her. Confusion struck him like an arrow hitting a pillow. She's never been this quiet before, usually when she lies to him she switches the subject, but this time she just has been quiet. _Now I __**know**__ something is up_.

Temari felt his gaze on her back. She smirked to herself. _He still hasn't figured it out? But I thought you could 'read right through' me, Shikamaru? _She mocked her trailing boyfriend, her grimace growing.

Emerald was hidden as the lids of her eyes blinded her from the path in front of her. They have been going out for almost four years, this was their senior year, and once they graduate they will be going their separate ways. Temari to Suna University down where her family was, and Shikamaru to Konoha Honors University; graduation wasn't looking so exciting anymore. It only being a few weeks away, the past year has been her trying to do as much as she could with her _best friend_. She turned her head slightly to see that Shikamaru had switched his glance to the path; his 'thinking look' clearly written all over his face.

They've been best friends ever since they were two, and the second they became boyfriend-girlfriend she knew that they'd be together forever… or so she thought. _Maybe everything will be fine._ Temari smiled trying to see the positive side in all this. She stopped to wait for Shikamaru to catch up; he always did tend to zone out when he thought to himself.

Shikamaru stopped once the figure of Temari's form entered his view. He stopped almost parallel with her, seeing her outstretched hand in front of him. He looked confused but took her hand anyways seeing that infectious smile of hers beaming on her face. They laced their hands together, letting the silence circle them. Temari's smile beamed as she walked on, Shikamaru in tow. Everything seemed to be fine now, or so Shikamaru began to believe.

They continued their walk through the park, Temari enjoying the silence and the peace of the park at night. As they came up to the bridge crossing the river back to their neighborhood Shikamaru stopped her once again.

"Okay, Temari, you're starting to freak me out." Shikamaru spoke free-mindedly. Temari turned to him, confusion filling her features for moments only to be replaced with humor as she laughed lightly to herself.

"What do you mean by that?" she smiled, leaning onto the fences of the bridge overlooking the swans and ducks playing around in the water.

"I don't know… you just seem kind of…" he begins trying to explain, the words not coming to him as quick as they should, "off… I guess." He said leaning his back up against the fence beside her.

Temari's whole body froze, her breath catching in her mouth, relaxing herself moments later, "I feel _a bit_ off, I guess." She said looking up from the birds to the sky counting the few stars in the sky with her eyes.

Shikamaru turned his head slightly, his chocolate eyes watching each feature in her face looking for any sign of a response.

A long silence filled the gap of time they had been standing there. Shikamaru's phone buzzed, telling him of a text being received. He reached into the pocket of his shorts grabbing the phone, sliding it open.

_When will you be home? _It was his mom; he had to still take Temari home. He looked back up to her to see her content expression across her face. Shikamaru text a reply back before turning his body towards his girlfriend ready to ask her if she was ready to go, but before he could get the words out of his mouth she beat him to the punch.

"Do I ever cross your mind?" she asked, her gaze still titled towards the sky.

Shikamaru's eyes did a shift to the side first right then left before returning to her figure. _Where is this coming from?_ He asked himself. He looked down towards the bridge's floor, smirking to himself, "No." He replied hidden humor in his voice.

Temari dropped her head and gazed at the running water, hurt filling her body slowly. Before he could continue answering she spoke again. "Do you like me?" she asked a little quieter this time.

Shikamaru bit back his words, being interrupted from the blonde in front of him. He watched as her head dropped; hurt filling her voice as she asked another question. He listened carefully, not interrupting her, only to reply – this time in a more serious tone, "No." he replied.

Temari couldn't believe what she was hearing. She lifted herself off of the bridge's fence, turning her body to face him, holding on to the fence for support with her hand. A hint of anger became quite apparent in her eyes; Shikamaru just looked at her, hands in his pockets, with his infamous lazy – yet serious - look in his eyes.

"Would you cry if I left?" 

"No."

Temari's eyes grew a tad angrier, but Shikamaru – knowing that she would just interrupt before he could explain – just stayed silent waiting for the next question.

"Would you live for me?"

"No." He answered with no hesitation. By this time Temari was slowly making her way down the bridge, taking a few steps at a time, then stopping every few steps to ask another question only to get a response she wasn't expecting and glaring at the at him before turning and walking forward slowly, asking another question. After the last question Temari turned her entire body towards him, looking straight into the serious expression on his face. Temari felt even more angered knowing that this meant he was telling the complete truth, and to make it worse he said nothing more.

Her eyes began to gather tears, but never dropping. She slowly walked back stopping only inches in front of him, his expression never changing as he looked her dead in the eyes. Deep inside he was dying a little seeing her cry, and knowing that he was the reason for it made it worse. He had to fix this, he knew this, but when she was on one of these rants it was best to stay silent until told otherwise.

Temari took in a deep breath slowly, preparing herself for the final question. Shikamaru just stood there waiting for her to ask the next question, he knew it was coming. He stayed perfectly still as she took in her breath.

"Choose…" she said trailing off looking directly into his eyes, searching for any sign that all this wasn't happening but nothing changed. "-Me, or your life."

She stayed perfectly still, never letting her gaze drift from his; looking for any sign that he would choose her, but his face showed nothing - no answer. This must have been one of a handful of times that she for once couldn't read what he was thinking.

Shikamaru looked into her eyes, watching as she searched him. The boy patiently waited for her to stop 'looking' before he'd answer. She calmed down, taking in small deep breaths. She couldn't read him, he could tell; she had that defeated look on her face. The tears were preparing to fall, the silence becoming a little to long for her. Shikamaru closed his eyes, letting out his held in breath before opening his eyes once again taking in the air he needed to prepare himself for the reaction he was about to give. _I'm going to regret this._

The notorious serious look of Shikamaru's appeared once again, "My life."

That was it. She couldn't hold it in anymore. Her tears began flowing out of her eyes like a stream's waterfall. She begged him with her eyes for him to tell her that this was all a joke, a sick – cruel – and unusual joke. He kept his serious expression across his face, not letting the break of his heart change it at all. "You done?" he chokes out trying to keep his voice as straight as possible.

Temari just shook her head and turned to run away towards her house. Shikamaru watched her fly down to the end of the bridge. He watched her until she began fading from his view finally listening to the click in his brain telling him to run after her.

Sudden rain began to fall upon them, _How typical_, the boy thought as he ran after her. He was beginning to gain on her thinking that all that running in track has finally come to some use in his life. The view of their houses started to come into his sight. _The second she runs into that house it's over_, he explained to himself seeing all her house lights on – meaning her father and brothers were awake and home. Shikamaru picked up the speed, cursing him self for wearing sandals.

After a few seconds, Shikamaru gave up on the sandals, kicking them off his feet as he ran. His speed increased finally getting closer to her right as she reached her lawn.

Temari choked on her breathing as she ran across her lawn, slowing down as she reached her stairs. She knew he was following him, she could hear him behind her. _Once I'm inside, I'm safe._ She thought to herself. She reached for the doorknob, stopping as his voice called out her name.

"Temari!" he yelled.

The blonde turned her face slowly, the dripping of her hair hiding the tear stains on her cheeks. Her eyes were filled with no emotion, as if she died and had come back with no heart. She turned her head slightly to look across her lawn to the street's edge to see him standing there; anger clearly shown with his body, looking as if he was a murderer finally finding his victim.

Temari continued looking at him, her hold still on the door knob, watching him as he walked toward her only to see him stopping in his tracks when he got within the light of the porch's edge. Temari could see it now, his eyes were angered, the only anger that happens when he felt he was being wronged. Emotion began to fill her back up, anger filling every inch of her body. _How dare he think he has the right to be angry at __**me**__._

"What do you want!" she yelled back, tears clearly gone and replaced with nothing, turning fully to him. Shikamaru jumped slightly at her tone, _She hasn't been this mad since I broke her bike in the third grade. _

The now soaked boy took in a deep breath, "The reason you never cross my mind…" he waited to make sure she was listening… she was, "is because you're always on my mind." He spoke with his serious tone, his eyes yelling at her to listen.

Temari looked at him confused, anger still in her expression, "What?"

Shikamaru brushes off her confusion, only to continue with his reasoning, "The reason why I don't like you…" he spoke very slowly for this one so that she heard every word through the downpour, "is because I _love_ you."

Temari mentally took a step back, shock filling every inch of her body; the anger now slowly disappearing. _He__** loves**__ me? _She released her grip on the door's handle turning her body towards him, walking to the edge of the stairs; shock continuing to run through her, "What?" she asked wondering if she might have heard it wrong.

Shikamaru continues, knowing she heard him, "The reason I wouldn't cry if you left…" he said a little louder as the rain picked up, "is because I would die if you left."

Temari began descending the stairs slowly, the rain drops acting as her tears as they run down her face. _Is he really saying this?_ She asked herself in disbelief.

Shikamaru watched as she got closer letting the rest of the answers from before finally come to the surface, "The reason I wouldn't live for you… is because I would die for you."

Her emerald eyes began to over flow with tears, he vision cloudy from them; she stopped a few yards in front of him, letting him re-answer the questions from before. A small smile began appearing on her face, as he kept his serious expression focused on her. He had a point to all this and he was going to make it.

"The reason why I'm not willing to do anything for you… is because I would do everything for you." Temari choked out a laugh, knowing that he has proven this on multiple accounts – she has just been too dense to see it lately. She felt so stupid for believing the words he had said before.

Shikamaru noticed the realization in her eyes. He became relieved that she believed his words. He slowly lifted his bare feet from the cold, wet ground and began walking towards her, "and the reason I chose my life..." he began stopping inches in front of her, as she had before, "…is because you _are_ my life, Temari." He explained slowly, searching in her eyes for anything.

Her emerald eyes were filled with mix emotions. She didn't know how she should… _could_ respond to that. Nothing she could say could tell him that everything he said is exactly how she feels about him. _Nothing._

The blonde and brunette stood there in the rain for what felt like hours, only really being minutes. Everything around them slowed, the areas around them turning white – the rain falling from the sky in slow motion.

Shikamaru waited patiently for a response, _any _response, but Temari just stood there. A smile appeared on her face after what seemed like forever. Shikamaru felt relief fill his entire body letting the air held in this entire time escape his lips.

Temari closed the gap, wrapping her arms around his neck, a smile beaming from her face. Her emerald orbs looked into his with a look of longing centimeters away from his face. Shikamaru's eyes filled with slight worry as he waited for her to speak, "You're an asshole, you know that?" she spoke with a sense of humor in her voice. Shikamaru closed his eyes, sighing – letting the air from the bottom of his lungs finally release from his body once again, opening them to her warm smile.

"I know." He answered wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her a little closer to him. Temari just smiled, moving her glance down towards his chest, before looking back to him through her eyelashes. She let out a light laugh as she saw how strained he still was.

"I love you too." She smiled before connecting her lips with his.

**~*~**

Kankuro and Gaara had gotten up, watching them from the window this entire time. The two of them looked at each other before Kankuro asked confused, "What just happened?"

Gaara rolled his eyes at the stupidity of his elder brother prior to lifting himself off the couch to let him self out onto the porch. Gaara stood on the porch watching his younger sister make out with the lazy-ass boyfriend of hers. Gaara crossed his arms getting bored with the whole '_romantic, raining kissing scene'_ that would only happen in a Nicholas Sparks book.

Gaara began getting even more bored; he raised his hand to cover his mouth as he coughed to get the attention of the two 'love-birds.' The two pulled apart suddenly to the sound of the cough, looking up to see Gaara glaring at them. They stood there looking at each other in silence for minutes until Gaara finally decided to speak up.

He points to the two of them in the obvious rain, "You two are kind of wet," he said matter-of-factly. The two of them just looked at him like he was a moron. _You have to be kidding me_, they both thought at the same time.

Gaara just turned to go back inside, smirking to himself, proud of himself for ruining the moment.

**~*~ ~*~ ~*~**

_**A/n: **_Okay, so I'm actually really, really proud of this. I don't think I have written this well since my Creative Writing final (aka: Clever Mom). So, I really hope you guys enjoyed it. Reviews are _ALWAYS_ welcome and much appreciated.

_**Review Please!**_

[I love you Star & J. :)]


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